Election campaigns getting you down? Tired of hearing the same old election promises? TV, Radio & Internet a no-go zone for you? Fear not. There is an answer. There is a way out for you and it’s called Liberland.
Liberland is Here
Eurosceptic Czech politican Vit Jedlicka has created the world’s newest state by claiming a 7km stretch of land on the west bank of the Danube River. The yellow in the flag represents liberty, the blue is the Danube and black is ‘resistance against the system’. The tree stands for abundance, the bird for freedom and the sun is for energy. These are the key principles demonstrated in the flag. Named the Free Republic of Liberland, it has a constitution, coat of arms, official website, motto, and… a facebook page. Liberland is Facebook official.
A New State Has Been Declared – Liberland @UKParliament @David_Cameron @NicolasSarkozy @SerbianGov @MeGovernment @HillaryClinton
— Liberland (@FRLiberland) April 16, 2015
After asking for a mere 5,000 people to become part of the new state 200,000 have people applied at the time of writing, meaning that already it’s shaping up to be a bit elitist. Balancing it out is the criteria. Liberland are searching for people ‘who have respect for other people and respect the opinions of others, regardless of their race, ethnicity orientation or religion’, and ‘do not have communist, nazi or other extremist past’. Perhaps they should be wary of free-speech fundamentalism, as they’re well on their way to encouraging it.
Guest-List Entry?
You cannot be a part of the state if you have a criminal record, so if you shoplifted at 19 then this state isn’t for you. Doesn’t matter, Liberland and the USA aren’t interested. Fuck your idea of diversity, if you want to be a part of Liberland you need to fit a criteria. Did something bad in your past? In Liberland, there is no redemption. By the way, the current Pope wouldn’t be allowed into Liberland. It’s odd that for a place so keen on liberty, they’re actually rather restrictive.
Only possible way to come to Liberland is by the boat. Vit Jedlicka inviting registered people for a citizenship… http://t.co/3eO0O99yh0
— Liberland (@FRLiberland) May 3, 2015
How will this state work in practice? A place that doesn’t “ask any unnecessary questions regarding sexuality or personal matters”, how will they be able to protect the freedoms that other states have fought for? The freedoms tentatively offered by Liberland aren’t radical, and they aren’t new. They’re old ideas repackaged in a new way. Their skills aren’t in politics, statehood, governance. Liberland is the true home of the marketing professional. There’s a rapper writing their national anthem for goodness sake.
People are offering expertise in their respective fields, meaning that there is a ‘spontaneous ordering taking place’. According to Jedlicka, “People have planned the whole city in three days…” With the amount of voluntary engagement taking place, it seem that many people believe in it. Or, many people are so disillusioned with their current states that dropping everything for a chance to live in a new unproven right wing hippy commune seems like a good idea. Perhaps they should change their motto. Live and let live is already old, how about Liberland: Just Plain Optimism, guys.
Jedlicka abstained in the first presidential election, but won thanks to votes from his friend and his girlfriend. He has a right wing background and is said to be rather close to the Swiss People’s Party. Weirdly enough, he plans to meet with British politicians to discuss Nigel Farage’s plans to leave the EU. Liberland is founded on crucial fiscal policy, and taxation will be optional. Jedlicka is ambitious – apparently this will bring in money from all over the world, and not only to the tax haven that is Liberland but to the whole area. The whole point of Liberland is to reduce state interference and roll back the state. There will be 10-20 members of the government, an open border policy will be operated and there will not be an army.
It’s hard to get behind an idea like this, but it will be interesting to see what happens. As yet, their stance on tuition fees has not been announced.
